To Beat Stanford, the UW Will Need to Somehow Outcoach David Shaw

The Cardinal leader holds a 7-3 edge over the Huskies in the series.

The first time a University of Washington football team encountered David Shaw, the Huskies humbled him in a big way. 

In 1991, Shaw was a nondescript freshman wide receiver playing his first college game for the Cardinal, which opened the season at home and lost 42-7 to a UW outfit headed for a 12-0 season and a national championship.

Twenty years later, Shaw returned the favor, at least in leaving no doubt who was better that day.

In his debut season as the Stanford football coach, promoted from offensive coordinator once Jim Harbaugh left, he welcomed the Huskies to Palo Alto for his seventh game in charge and hung a 65-21 loss on them.

It's now 30 years later, and Shaw once again greets the UW in a Bay Area football setting forever known as "The Farm." The crops haven't come in quite like everyone had hoped this season. Both teams are 3-4 and trying to find their way, though Stanford counts victories over Oregon and USC.

The one constant in this matchup is Shaw, who is everything Husky fans were hoping Jimmy Lake would be — studious, victorious and glorious. 

Dare we say, another Chris Petersen or even Don James.

Jimmy Lake and David Shaw chat before their 2020 game.  :: Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports

For a solid decade, Shaw has been considered the Pac-12's top football coach, churning out five seasons of 10 wins or more and leading the Cardinal to three Rose Bowls, two of which he won. He has a 93-40 Stanford head-coaching record to date, 7-3 over the Huskies, and just one losing season.

The son of former NFL player Willie Shaw, the younger Shaw is universally respected across the conference because he wins with class and doesn't make waves. Whereas it's easy for someone deeply invested in Husky football to ridicule someone such as the somewhat cocky Chip Kelly, or anyone coaching at Oregon for that matter, the Stanford football leader is someone not easy to badmouth.

Shaw, who quietly began his coaching career in 1995 some 90 miles north of Husky Stadium as the linebackers coach at Western Washington University, always says and does the right thing. 

He's cerebral in approach and dedicated to attention to detail, whereas Lake has stumbled out of the gate because he is more prone to act on emotion and his team appears undisciplined at times.

David Shaw has beaten the Huskies 7 of 10 times as the Stanford coach / USA TODAY Sports

In the accompanying video, Shaw talks about consulting a sleep coach in regards to his Cardinal playing games early in the morning or late at night on Saturdays, and the not-so-obvious drawbacks. Who does that? Shaw does.

As they line up in Palo Alto for the 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night, the Cardinal and Huskies will field college football teams similar in talent and ability. The programs boast as much West Coast tradition as anyone. They're more similar than they want to admit, with Stanford holding a 44-43-4 series advantage. 

Coaching is what likely will decide this one. Who has his team better prepared to play. Who makes the fewest mistakes.

Lake, when he's not huddling with his players and coaches, might take a peek at the other sideline. He will see the coach he should strive to become.

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